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Change pollination

How do you practice a resolution?

On one point I disagree with Jedi Master Yoda. There is a try. I’m not saying that effort alone, without wisdom or strategy will win the day, but if you’re thinking of making a resolution this year, I’ll invite you to look at it a little differently. If we’re trying to change the culture of destruction, a good start could be getting the hang of changing ourselves.

For any behavioural change you’re looking at at least a year to make it habit, so the first thing to realise is your resolution doesn’t ‘fail’ the first time you don’t do it. That’s exactly what’s supposed to happen, it’s just the start. You don’t ‘keep’ a resolution, you practice it.

To help your resolution succeed here are some tips:

Understand the emotions behind why you want it

Make yourself accountable by telling others

Use role models, supportive people and positive peer pressure

Plan the details of how you will do it

Record and monitor your progress (we all love those little lies we tell ourselves)

Be positive and encouraging to yourself when you manage it AND when you don’t. The point is to keep trying

Don’t set unrealistic aims, no one is perfect, so plan for imperfection

Only do one big change at a time

The devil’s in the detail, but so is success. If you’re trying to do something you weren’t able to do before, there are probably some good reasons why it was hard. So how do we plan ways around these?

What are the trigger events that tend to make you slip? What are your detailed plans to deal with these? How are you going to get back on track? What motivational rewards can lie in store for you? What tips and plans could you share with others to help them?

To encourage us to help each other, if you share this post on Facebook with your resolution and a tip for how you’ll practice it, you could win a free copy of Pollinating Change. The people posting the five most interesting tips before the end of January 1st will each get a free book.